The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of dahlia grown for use in mixed combinations, beds and the landscape. The new invention is known botanically as Dahlia variabilis and will be referred to hereinafter by the cultivar name ‘Mystic Memories’. This application is co-pending with the application Ser. No. 13/986,663 for the inventor's variety of Dahlia plant named ‘Mystic Fantasy’.
The specific epithet variabilis represents a hybrid seedling line that came from crossing various original wild species in the early 1800's, and refers to the species' wide range of flower color and shapes. Dahlia is in the family Compositae. The flower of ‘Mystic Memories’ is a “single” form blossom and exhibits a single row of ray flowers surrounding a central cluster of disc florets.
‘Mystic Memories’ was selected as a seedling that resulted from the controlled cross-pollination carried out by the inventor in a cultivated area of Auckland, New Zealand in 2007. The inventor selected as female parent an individual plant of Dahlia variabilis known by code number ‘71509/01’ which is an unreleased seedling from the inventor's breeding program. The chosen male parent was the inventor's variety Dahlia variabilis ‘Zone Ten’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,885). Seed was collected from the female parent and sown with the intention of making a selection from the seedlings that resulted.
‘Mystic Memories’ was selected in 2008 based on the criteria of leaf color, leaf shape, plant height, self-supporting plants, single blooms and flower color. The unique traits that distinguish ‘Mystic Memories’ from other varieties of Dahlia known to the inventor are glossy mahogany-black divided leaves and profusions of soft peach blooms with orange-red highlights and orange-red eye around a dark central disc.
The first asexual reproduction of ‘Mystic Memories’ was conducted in 2008 in Auckland, New Zealand. The method of asexual propagation utilized was softwood cuttings taken from the first year tuber. Since that time under careful observation, the distinguishing characteristics have been determined stable, uniform, and to be reproduced true to type in subsequent generations of asexual propagation.